A Review: Research Progress of Neural Probes for Brain Research and Brain–Computer Interface

Abstract

Neural probes, as an invasive physiological tool at the mesoscopic scale, can decipher the code of brain connections and communications from the cellular or even molecular level, and realize information fusion between the human body and external machines. In addition to traditional electrodes, two new types of neural probes have been developed in recent years: optoprobes based on optogenetics and magnetrodes that record neural magnetic signals. In this review, we give a comprehensive overview of these three kinds of neural probes. We firstly discuss the development of microelectrodes and strategies for their flexibility, which is mainly represented by the selection of flexible substrates and new electrode materials. Subsequently, the concept of optogenetics is introduced, followed by the review of several novel structures of optoprobes, which are divided into multifunctional optoprobes integrated with microfluidic channels, artifact-free optoprobes, three-dimensional drivable optoprobes, and flexible optoprobes. At last, we introduce the fundamental perspectives of magnetoresistive (MR) sensors and then review the research progress of magnetrodes based on it.

Microenvironment reconstitution of highly active Ni single atoms on oxygen-incorporated Mo2C for water splitting

“…1f including darker spots and brighter spots of surface MoO x layer further confirm the presence of isolated Ni SA single atoms (Fig. g 1 and g 2 ) 8 . For comparison, the control electrocatalysts of Ni 1.5 -O/Mo 2 C and Ni 4.5 -O/Mo 2 C were prepared with varying amounts of Ni.…”

“…2b ). Only a small amount of Ni 0 can be observed at 853.5 and 870.5 eV, which indicates that the Ni atoms are mainly coordinated with the surrounding oxygen atoms 8 . It should be noted that, due to the Ni content in the Ni 1.5 -O/Mo 2 C is lower than Ni SA -O/Mo 2 C, the peak of Ni 0 is not obvious, while Ni 2+ is observed at 862.4 and 881.4 eV, indicating that Ni in the Ni 1.5 -O/Mo 2 C sample is almost entirely bonded to the surrounding oxygen atoms.…”

“…Electrochemical water splitting is widely regarded as one of the most important and promising pathways to convert renewable energy into high-purity hydrogen and oxygen 1 – 4 . For a continuous overall water splitting process in practical, pairing the two electrode reactions together in an integrated electrolyser is difficult because of the mismatch of pH ranges in which these catalysts are stable and remain the most active 5 – 8 . In addition, producing different catalysts for both monofunctional catalysts requires different equipment and processes, which could increase the cost compared to bifunctional catalysts.…”

FAST (Flexible Acetylcholine Sensing Thread): Real-Time Detection of Acetylcholine with a Flexible Solid-Contact Potentiometric Sensor

“…Electrical probes offer an alternative measurement as they can access deeper structures in the brain (while having inadequate spatial resolution compared to optical imaging methods) [ 23 ]. Improving the biocompatibility of neural probes has been the focus of research in recent decades [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. Several groups have endeavored to fabricate flexible probes that can enhance the compatibility with the surrounding tissue and minimize tissue damage and subsequent scar tissue formation and rejection.…”

Sensor-Based Rehabilitation in Neurological Diseases: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends

“…Non-invasive sensors include electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Invasive sensors include microelectrode arrays and penetrating electrodes [69].…”